This Week in Geek 12/04/09

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written post-comic-shop-visit by WorthPoint comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which the comics he’ll be purchasing and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story-lines and creators discussed here. Make sure and post your comments below.

So, I’m not doing so well this evening; it’s Thursday night as I’ writing this. Let’s see, my hands are shaking, I’m having cold sweats, trouble breathing and a general feeling of uneasiness. I’m jonesing here. Like an addict. See, I didn’t get to the comic shop today. I know, shameful right? What kind of nerd am I? Really, I didn’t have 15 minutes to spare for my comics? Really? Well, I didn’t, and here I sit Thursday night forced to catch up on old stuff I haven’t read yet while all the real nerds are reading new stuff. Stupid job! Stupid responsibilities! Stupid real life! I swear I’m going tomorrow and if they’ve sold out of anything I’m going to punch my own face. Hard. I’m talking black-eye hard. I swear.

Before I get into my stack I want to take a minute to discuss the Fall of the Hulks event that began today with “Fall of the Hulks Alpha.” While driving to work—not to the comic shop where I wanted to go—I had a phone conversation with a good friend and fellow collector on the subject of the latest Hulk event. “Do we care about this?” he asked. For the briefest of moments I thought that maybe I did. A little. But to be brutally honest, no, I couldn’t care less about this story. Even with writers like Jeff Parker—who I love—attached to parts I still don’t care. Jeph Loeb’s “Hulk” title has slowly devolved into utter ridiculousness much like the “Superman Batman” title he previously wrote for DC. Both started strong with a good mystery but then left all continuity behind to become the Jeph Loeb-comic-book-comedy-hour starring all your favorite heroes and villains doing what ever Jeph Loeb thinks they should. In the case of Superman Batman, the title at least had a fun Silver-Age feeling to it. Hulk, on the other hand, is just bad. I might have cared about the identity of the Red Hulk had I not had to wade through more than 12 monthly issues, a giant size #600 issue, all of which were terrible, and now a series of one-shots tied to an event to figure it out. No, I won’t be picking up the Fall of the Hulks event. But I will probably read it while at the comic shop. Because I’m weak and I have to know what happens.

The Stack: Below you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Thursday, Dec. 3. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Thoughts on the Stack:

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman

“Blackest Night: The Flash” and “Blackest Night: Wonder Woman.” It would seem to me if Geoff Johns was going to write a story about a superhero returning from death, doing it in a story about the dead heroes and villains coming back to life Blackest Night would be the place to do it. However, the story of the return of Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash, is being told on the pages of Flash Reborn. Not Blackest Night. Unless Johns is connecting the two with this issue. The Wonder Woman tie-in sees Greg Rucka returning to write everyone’s favorite Amazon dealing with the zombie hordes. I loved Rucka’s run on Wonder Woman back in 2003 and am really looking forward to this story.

Dark Avengers Annual #1

“Dark Avengers Annual #1” tells the story of what happened to Marvel Boy, or Capt Marvel, or whatever he’s going by now. Those of you who have been following the story know that he vanished a few issues ago and hasn’t been seen since. One of my favorite artists working today, Chris Bachalo, supplies the pencils for this issue that leads directly into the upcoming Siege event.

“JSA All Stars” #1 gets exactly one chance. I haven’t been happy with the latest JSA title as of late. It’s not terrible, which has kept me buying the main title, but it’s pretty far from great. Or worth $2.99, for that matter. Matt Sturges is part of the team that’s been writing JSA, along with Bill Willingham, but will be writing All Stars alone. I’m curious to see what Sturges can do but am not really excited to see a second monthly title about the second-tier JSA’ers. Like I said; one chance.

Supergod

“Supergod” is Warren Ellis at his best. It’s not just a story of Man creating a Superhuman he cannot control. This is the story of Man creating gods to save the world and awful consequences thereof. Great story, great art and a fun look at an apocalyptic-future brought on by technology. Count me in.

Thor #604

“Thor” #604 is the first issue written by Kieron Gillen and looks to bring the Thunder God into the Dark Reign fray. Norman Osborne needs to get rid of Asgard. Doctor Doom has been dissecting Asgardians to learn why they don’t age. Oh, and it looks like the original founding Avengers may be getting back together. If you need another reason to pick up Thor this week you don’t love comics. At least not as much as me.

Solicitation: The siege starts here! Remember when you were first introduced to the Cabal, the gathering of the most sinister members of the Marvel Universe, and you said to yourself: Well, that’s going to blow up in everyone’s face! Well, you were right and it happens right here. Norman Osborn faces off with Doctor Doom and his mysterious threat to Doom is revealed. All of this is setting the stage for next month’s explosive event: Siege!

Why this one? I don’t know what’s going to happen when Siege is over and done with but it looks like the original Avengers will be reassembled. Norman Osborne is picking a fight with Doctor Doom, and that is one hell of a bad idea. This issue is the beginning of the Marvel Siege event that Brian Michael Bendis has been planning for seven years! I can’t stop giggling just thinking about how cool this is going to be.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

I talked about it earlier so you know where I stand but I want to hear from you guys. Fall of the Hulks; do you care? Discuss!

See ya next time true believers.

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This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by WorthPoint comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday, Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story-lines and creators discussed here. Also, feel free to post your comments in the new “comments” section below, or you can follow him on Twitter, where he is always screaming about something nerd-related. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint for free and post your comics in the “Ask A Worthologist” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price. And finally a word to the Federal Trade Commission; all the comics discussed here are purchased solely by the writer, who receives no gifts or free merchandise from any publishers even though he would graciously accept them.